5 Reasons Why I Love My Prius

I purchased a used 2002 Prius two years ago and feel it has been the best vehicle I have ever owned. It may not do 0-60 in 4.0 seconds or be able to hold 7 passengers, but it has been the most reliable and economical car I have owned in 18 years of driving. My other car is an SUV and far from economical and reliable. I can’t wait for Toyota to make an SUV with Prius technology and then I can trade in my old SUV. Well, I love my Prius for the following reasons:

1. Obvious answer: Great gas mileage. Current gas prices in the bay area are $3.39 for regular unleaded. I’m not going to say I get 55-60 mph but I realistically get 40-45 mph average on highway and city.

2. Carpool lane sticker. Love it! My wife uses the Prius to commute over 100 miles a day and uses the carpool lane with no other passengers required. She does belong to a carpool but on some days she is the only person in the car. Many mornings she saves 30-60 minutes on her commute time.

3. Cheap maintenance costs. I have spent a total of $485 on maintenance over two years. Two new tires: $220. Oil Service 4 @ $29 each. 70k mile service $149. New wipers $20. I could probably even save some money on the oil service but am happy with my relationship with Toyota and my customer service representative. In comparison, I have had four or five customer service reps for my SUV.

4. No smog testing or certificate needed for DMV. As I get older I hate waiting in lines and making appointments, and spending between $50-75 just to get a vehicle smog is a waste of time and money. The Prius is a low emission vehicle and not subject to smog requirements in California.

5. No or cheap brake maintenance. I went to my dealer and asked if they could check my brakes during 70k mile service. The service rep said they would but they have never replaced brake pads on the hundreds of Prius’ sold at their dealership. He then explained the benefits of the Prius technology and regenerative braking. More info can be found http://www.fueleconomy.gov/feg/tech/TechSnapPrius1_5_01b.pdf

I would love to hear from other hybrid owners and post a comment of what you love about your car.